John Mellencamp responded after a viral video showed him walking off stage after fans interrupted him mid-performance.
The singer, 72, went on an expletive-laden tirade after a concertgoer in Toledo, Ohio, yelled “play some music” as Mellencamp attempted to tell a story during a concert last month.
Mellencamp responded: ‘What do you think I’ve been doing, motherfucker?’ while the fans booed the heckler.
‘Here’s the thing, man. You don’t know me. You don’t know me. Hey Joe, find this guy and let me see him after the show.
Another fan shouted a request for Mellencamp to play ‘Authority Song’ and Mellencamp responded: Guys, I can stop this show right now and go home.
John Mellencamp responded after a viral video showed him storming off stage after fans interrupted him mid-performance (pictured in 2023).
‘I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. Because you’ve been so wonderful, I’m going to cut about ten songs from the show. Here we go.’
The star then began her next song, Jack & Diane, before abruptly saying: ‘You know what? The show ended and we stormed off the stage.
He would later return and finish the show.
Mellencamp broke his silence over the uproar and said he hoped audience members would have “etiquette” during his show.
He said Washington Post: ‘I expect etiquette within the theater, the same way you would in a Broadway show.
‘My shows are not really concerts anymore. They are performances and there is a difference between a performance and a concert.
‘Look, I’m not for everyone anymore. I’m just not. And if you want to come scream and get drunk, don’t come to my show.
The singer-songwriter began his illustrious career in music in the early 1970s performing under the stage name Johnny Cougar.
The singer, 72, went on an expletive-laden tirade after a fan in Toledo, Ohio, yelled “play some music” as Mellencamp tried to tell a story during a concert last month. Mellencamp responded: ‘What do you think I’ve been doing, motherfucker?’ (pictured in 2023)
He told the Washington Post: “I expect etiquette within the theater, the same way you would in a Broadway show.”
He would play the name game and call himself John Cougar on his self-titled third album.
Their breakthrough came with the release of their fifth studio album, American Fool (1982), which contained the three hit singles Hurts So Good, Jack & Dianne and Hand to Hold On To.
Their seventh album, Uh-Huh (1983) would become an even bigger success supported by singles like Pink Houses, Authority Song and Crumblin’ Down.
In total, Mellencamp has released 25 albums throughout his career and has racked up 22 hit songs in the US including Lonely Ol’ Night, I Need A Lover, Small Town, Rain On The Scarecrow, ROCK in the USA , Human Wheels, Paper In Fire. , Cherry Bomb, Jackei Brown and Love And Happiness, among others.
He was eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, followed by an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.